Renzo Piano Building Workshop, S.r.l.

The Shard

The Shard
© Ben Marshall

The Shard

Renzo Piano Building Workshop

COLLABORATOR
Adamson Associates

MANUFACTURERS
Dyson, Giacomini, Lignacite, Orluna, Sas International, Selo Uk, Sonogamma

PHOTOGRAPHS
Ben Marshall, Michel Denancé, Rob Telford, Sam Roberts

DESIGN TEAM PHASE ONE (2000 2003)
J. Moolhuijzen, N. Mecattaf, W.matthews With D.drouin, A.eris, S.fowler, H.lee, J.rousseau, R.stampton, M.van Der Staay And K.doerr, M.gomes, J.nakagawa, K.rottova, C.shortle, O.aubert, C.colson, Y.kyrkos

DESIGN TEAM PHASE TWO (2004 2012)
J. Moolhuijzen, W.matthews, B.akkerhuis, G.bannatyne, E.chen, G.reid With O.barthe, J.carter, V.delfaud, M.durand, E.fitzpatrick, S.joly, G.longoni, C.maxwell-mahon, J.b.mothes, M.paré, J.rousseau, I.tristrant, A.vachette, J.winrow And O.doule, J.leroy, L.petermann; O.aubert, C.colson, Y.kyrkos

PHASE ONE CONSULTANTS
Arup (Structure And Services); Lerch, Bates & Associates (Vertical Transportation); Broadway Malyan (Consulting Architect)

PHASE TWO CONSULTANTS
Wsp Cantor Seinuk (Structure); Arup (Building Services); Lerch, Bates & Associates (Vertical Transportation); Davis Langdon (Cost Consultant); TownshendArchitects (Landscape); Pascall+watson (Executive Architect For The Station)

LOCATION
London, United Kingdom

YEAR
2012

CATEGORY
Office Building

Text description provided by architect.


The Shard, also known as the London Bridge Tower, is a 72-storey, mixed-use tower located beside London Bridge Station on the south bank of the River Thames.

The Shard
© Sam Roberts
The Shard
Renzo Piano Building Workshop

This project was a response to the urban vision of London Mayor Ken Livingstone and to his policy of encouraging high-density development at key transport nodes in London.

This sort of sustainable urban extension relies on the proximity of public transportation, discourages car use and helps to reduce traffic congestion in the city.

A mix of uses – residential, offices and retail – creates a building that is in use 24 hours a day.

The Shard
Renzo Piano Building Workshop
The Shard
© Michel Denancé

The slender and pyramidal form of the tower was determined by its suitability to this mix: large floor plates at the bottom for offices; restaurants, public spaces and a hotel located in the middle; private apartments at the top of the building.

The final floors accommodate a public viewing gallery, 240 m above street level.

The Shard
© Michel Denancé
The Shard
© Michel Denancé

This arrangement of functions also allows the tower to taper off and disappear into the sky - a particularly important detail for Renzo Piano Building Workshop given the building’s prominence on the London skyline.

Eight sloping glass facades, the “shards” define the shape and visual quality of the tower, fragmenting the scale of the building and reflecting the light in unpredictable ways.

Opening vents in the gaps or “fractures” between the shards, provide natural ventilation to winter gardens.

The Shard
© Michel Denancé
The Shard
© Rob telford
The Shard
© Michel Denancé

The extra-white glass used on the Shard gives the tower a lightness and a sensitivity to the changing sky around it, the Shard’s colour and mood are constantly changing.

It required a particular technical solution to ensure the facade’s performance in terms of controlling light and heat.

A double-skin, naturally ventilated facade with internal blinds that respond automatically to changes in light levels was developed.

The Shard
Courtesy of Renzo Piano Building Workshop
The Shard
© Nikolas Ventourakis
The Shard
© Michel Denancé

The logic is very simple: external blinds are very effective in keeping solar gain out of a building, but unprotected external blinds are not appropriate for a tall building, hence the extra layer of glass facade on the outside.

As part of the project, a section of London Bridge Station’s concourse was also redeveloped and the Shard has been the stimulus for much of the regeneration of the surrounding area, now known as the London Bridge Quarter.

The Shard
© Michel Denancé


The Shard
Context Map
The Shard
Site Plan
The Shard
Context Plan
The Shard
Courtesy of Renzo Piano Building Workshop


The Shard
Middle Section
The Shard
Sketch Section
The Shard
Upper Section
The Shard
Renzo Piano Building Workshop
The Shard
Sketch
The Shard
Drawing


The Shard
Elevation and Plans
The Shard
Sketch Diagram
The Shard
Diagram

Renzo Piano Building Workshop, S.r.l.
T +39 010 61711
Renzo Piano Building Workshop, S.r.l.
Via Pietro Paolo Rubens, 29, 16158 Genova GE, Italy